I Sing

Tell us your real names, country of birth and childhood experience.

My real full name is, Lauren Elizabeth Klassen. I am from Canada. My childhood experience includes singing since I was 1-2 years old. My father’s family was very musical; he and his brothers always sang together and played instruments. They were quite professional. When I was 2 1/2 years old, my dad had to take extra training in his medical profession. We moved to Pittsburgh Pennsylvania where we lived for 3 years. I was not great academically, but I always was a great singer, and music was a big part of my life. I sang in choirs in school, and I even sang solo or with one or two others at school concerts.

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Tell us about your music career, band name, musical background, experience and skills.

I play guitar and sing in public as I have my street entertainment license. I also have made 2 CDs so far. One is a karaoke Christmas CD, which is composed of karaoke downloads which I bought online, I sang each one of these songs, and recorded in Beat Productions Recording studio here in Chilliwack, Peter Kilgour was the one that recorded, and Beat Productions is his studio. I have played in one or two bands, which fizzled out. The band names which I had previously played in were “Bassmeant Band”, and “The Spurs”. As previously mentioned my musical background consists of singing in school choirs, and these two bands. My skills are playing guitar, I also play a bit of piano, and the drums. Of course I also sing. I can usually figure out the composition or what order a song puts its verse, chorus etc. I have a good ear for this, and also picking up on chords to a song. I also write my own songs, and every song on my second album is composed by me, with exception of one, which was co-written by my music teacher. I also must credit him for his fantastic arrangement in making my songs sound fantastic!

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Tell us about your genre, concept and idea behind your music video and the song.

I actually like rock and roll and I would like to learn to write it, but so far I have only succeeded in writing folk pop. My teacher has told me I would need an electric guitar to properly learn writing rock and roll. The idea behind my song is that I love music, and in my growing up years, it was something I enjoyed and was quite good at.

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Tell us how to run a record label independently and successfully based on your experience as an artist.

I actually don’t know how to run a record label independently. My music teacher has done most of the work on this, with my second CD; as well as Beat Productions (Peter Kilgour) did with my first CD. I have however, managed to sell many of both CDs, and they are very popular with people.

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Tell us how you are promoting your music

I promote my music by sending individual links and selling it to friends and other people, telling people about it, and performing in public, as well I also perform for different organizations. I have submitted my songs to www.jango.com and it is also for sale on several different sites.

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Tell us what makes you happy and what makes you sad.

Good friends, good times, good music, singing and playing drums, piano and guitar in my music room. Public performances, animals, good food, these are all things that make me happy. What makes me sad, having to say goodbye to my furry loved one, “My Cat” which was just recent. I had to have her put down, and I am still recovering from her loss. The passing away of close friends, my dad, bad news, embarrassment, arguments that leave me angry. Dissension with people that is hard to mend.

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Explain clearly the story or concept behind the song.

It is about my life growing up, how I was not good academically, but how I loved music and singing for people, how it affected them as well as myself.

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List the radio stations, TV stations, and blogs that have aired or featured your new song.

Well, my music is airing on www.jango.com, and it has just been accepted on Independent Radio Trier, which is a radio station in Germany. A couple of professional offices play them and one other organization, but I cannot have my music played elsewhere presently, unless the restaurants or professional buildings etc. are licensed to play music.

Give us links to where the songs can be purchased.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/cathy-ep/1138520452

Amazon

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Tell us about the other members of your band, music producer, crew or music video director, how the song was recorded and how the music video was shot.

Presently I am not a member of a band, I am a solo artist. My music producer; Rick Genge of “Spiderlodge” is the one who arranged and made my album “Cathy” possible. I recorded my songs in Spiderlodge, and it took much trial and error before it was done. We took the best of my clips and he perfected them to sound awesome. Of course I am a good singer, and have been told by many. I would come to record once a week most of the time for 3 hours straight, and it took exactly a year to do it all. My music teacher(s) are very talented musicians, who have their own band which is called “Spiderlodge”. Rick can play many instruments well, and is good at helping me to write songs. Lori Paul his wife, is a very talented singer, and is great at vocal coaching and musical instruction as well.

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Tell us how long you have been in the music industry, your experience, and your future goal.

I have taken lessons in music off and on since my childhood days. As aforementioned I sang in school choirs, took guitar, drum and piano lessons and also as aforementioned recorded 2 CDs.

My future goal is to become better at piano, drums and guitar, and I hope to make more CDs. I am presently still writing music, and I hope to be able to afford to make more albums. I have to save up for this.

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Tell us what makes you unique from others.

I have been told I have a unique singing voice; I also have a great ear and can pick up on chords to a song sometimes without looking it up. I know the arrangements (order) in which songs are aligned, and I also have a great memory for exactly how the song goes, in which I find most people seem to get it wrong. I know where to come in on songs and have memorized them just by listening to them in school hallways and other places where the radio plays. Even songs that are not favorites of mine.

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Tell us your weakness and strength pertaining music.

I can pick up well when learning an instrument. My weaknesses are not being able to memorize playing the song by heart, when performing in public. I also do not remember the words and usually I take the music with me, but I hope to get better at this. I also, even though I can keep a good beat with drumming, have a coordination problem with certain essentials of it. I also have stage fright in huge crowds of people, although not with people walking by or in certain other situations.

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List your five favorite songs including the artists.

“All I Want For Christmas” Justin Bieber /Mariah Carey duet

“This is Amazing Grace” Phil Wickham

“Little Drummer Boy” Justin Bieber style

“Chestnuts Roasting by an Open Fire” Justin Bieber style

“You Are Good” Jeremy Riddle.

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Tell us the instruments put together in this song.

“I Sing”- The instruments included in this song are acoustic guitar, 2 electric guitars, bass, drums and vocals.

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Tell us other activities you will like to pursue apart from music.

I love reading, watching good movies, get-together with friends from church and other people, going out for dinner, family reunions, trips, baseball, and I just love animals.

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Tell us about gaining the confidence to sing in front of a large crowd for the first time.

I had to make sure I was well prepared and have practiced my music well, before I performed.

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Tell us the best way to make money in the music business.

Well for now, I have had success selling my CDs to family, friends and other people. I have had off/on success with money from people in street entertainment. Sometimes if a good gig is offered I can make good money with this. I am hoping that sometime my music will begin to sell online. I am however accumulating fans, and this is great exposure.

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Narrate your recording experience.

I had a lot of fun recording my CDs. But it took a lot of time and effort, trial and error, to complete it.

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List your various works.

1.) “Cathy”

2.) “Friends”

3.) “Summertime”

4.) “Birds”

5.) “I Sing”

6.) “One Summer Day”

The above songs are from my album titled “Cathy”.

The one song which I have written and recorded which is only a Christmas song, is called “Christmastime”.